Welcome to the class blog of Ben Villarreal's Freshman English 12 Course: Visual and Verbal Literacies! Here you'll find the thoughts, ideas, and burgeoning written work from our class about the multiple literacies we experience.

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29 June 2009

Cancer: A Real Life Dilema

Chapter 5 of Our Cancer Year is about a husband and wife coping with a real life scenario. This could happen to anyone in the world. It tells about how a wife, (for some couples rarely happens), has to be the sole supporter, and how the husband, (again, for some couples rarely happen) has to be the one being cared for. This story seems much too serious to be considered a comic, something that would be a novel and go on to become a great movie, if you like sad movies.

It really hit the heart, I think mainly because it is something that I am sure has happened to married, or not married couples/families more than a thousand times, and the opinion and experiences can be understood by plenty of readers. I am hoping to read the whole comic, some may say it was/is boring, or that the writer isn't that great, but if you're like me, and love this type of story, you'll agree with me.

Harvey's wife uses her own experience with the carpenter, which is very helpful if your in the same situation, the advice is appreciated especially when the person giving the advice knows exactly what is going on and the types of emotions one might feel, and go through during this difficult time.

I have to admit, this is the best comic I have ever read, and again, hope to read it all.

There actually is a movie, Cynthia. It's called American Splendor, titled after Pekar's comic series. It pretty much tells the story of his life from beginning his comic, marrying Joyce, finding out he has cancer, and recovering from it. It's pretty good, and you should check it out in addition to reading the rest of this book.

It's interesting you suggest this comic "seems much too serious" to be a comic. Pekar is the writer who really began the movement of serious, (auto)biographical comics. Without him, we might not have these kinds of comics.

Jesse, that's one of your more interesting comments ;-) Well done; I agree with you. It's these kinds of comics that pulled in readers other than the fanboys--readers who were used to more intellectual (i.e. "boring) literature.